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“A small group of vampires almost took out the entire Authority.” He sits back with an arrogant smile. “If not for the werewolves, the witches and sorcerers would have been slaughtered. What right do they have to lead us?” He laughs a cold, wicked sound. His eyes fade in and out and I question his sanity. It’s as though his mind has been poisoned. “Without the shifters to aid them, the vampires won’t be able to take on the Authority. I’ll lead them and get rid of the undeserving Authority and Victor will reward all those who fight for the better of our species.”
“The Authority has kept murder at an all-time low. Both for humans and supernaturals alike.” Emma speaks hesitantly with a shaky voice. Her eyes remain on the table, and she grips her mates’ hands tightly in her own. I’m surprised she spoke at all; she’s so damn emotional. It’s clear that she is aware of far more than I previously thought.
My father snorts, looking with disgust at the two human women in the room. My Alpha mate. My brothers’ mate. How dare he behave in such a disrespectful way.
“What has become of you?” I question without thinking and his narrowed eyes meet mine.
“If only you hadn’t run away, maybe you would know what this pack has been through.”
“This pack’s survival is why we’re here,” I barely murmur, emotions stirring as the memories come back again.
He seems to contemplate my statement before nearly whispering, “Sacrifices will be made.”
My fists finally clench as my anger gets the better of me. My breathing feels strained and heavy. My voice raises as I growl, “You cannot lead this pack to their death!”
With my anger, he rises, his chair scraping against the floor and nearly falling as he does. “They will go where I lead them. You gave up the right to question me when you left!” He stands at the foot of the table, and I can see the question on his face. I could challenge him for the right to this pack. I could fight him to the death to protect the people I once loved. My eyes narrow and my nostrils flare. I watch Leon and Marcellus both look at me, pleading with me.
A chill runs through my blood as Devin’s warning echoes in my head but I can barely hear it.
I can’t sit back and do nothing. I won’t let my father destroy this pack and so many people I once loved. I’m not a child anymore. I have to do what’s right.
As I realize what must be done, I see my mate, my sweet, innocent mate, shake her head. I see her chest rising and falling as she struggles for her breath. I feel her fear, but I can’t stop the words from leaving my lips. “I challenge you.”
My mate’s loud cry resonates in my ears as my father yells, “Seize him!”
LENA
My body is frozen in disbelief. No. I’ve only just met him. It’s only been days that I’ve had with my true mate. My true mate. I could see it all play out before it happened. The moment I felt Devin’s warning, when I saw the pain in my mate’s eyes as the Betas stared straight at him. It was undeniable and too late to stop it. My thought shocks me and I breathe in the heavy air. It’s only then that I realize I was screaming and that my poor pup is crying in my arms. I quickly hunch over him and hold him tight. I bounce slightly and try to still my trembling body. My mate has just challenged his father.
My heart falls as I slowly close my eyes. The tears tangle with my thick lashes before falling down my face. My heart feels as though it’s stopped beating. My wolf howls in agony.
Although the Betas were given orders, they hesitate, and the room is hushed in apprehension. I can barely breathe. The seers... I thought they were wrong.
“You know what the seers told you.” Jude’s hard words make me open my eyes. “You can back down. You can submit to me, and I will let you live.”
I stare up at Jude, the cords in his neck tightening. What is he talking about? What did the seers tell him? I don’t know if my mate will win. But the thought of him being in any danger causes me physical pain. I couldn’t bear to let him come into danger. Something about being here has stirred a need inside of me. To protect him. To love him. My wretched, shattered heart beats wildly against my rib cage. He must be my mate. My heart twists with an aching need. And now, I may lose him forever. A strangled sob racks through my body, but I keep my lips pressed tight and continue shushing my little one. He’s barely calmed.
“The seer was wrong.” Jude’s father raises his voice. “Victor has shown me the truth.” He leans across the table and sneers. “The seer has been punished.” My blood turns to ice as the air around him turns foul and his eyes flash with madness.
“Father,” one of Jude’s brothers says quietly, interrupting the darkest of moments. “I think you need to see a healer.” I can feel the air grow tight with tension and worry as the Betas at the back of the room shift their weight.
“I don’t need to listen to you! You know nothing.” The Alpha snarls and stomps his way around the large, oak table on the other side of me. We all move at once, except for Jude. I push myself away as quickly as possible, shielding my pup. The chair beneath me falls and my back hits the wall. Jude stands between his father and me. Devin has Grace pinned next to me. His back to her chest. And Vince and Veronica rise slowly and walk backward, not taking their eyes off the aggressive shifter.
This isn’t how it’s supposed to work. When a challenge is declared, it’s done in public for the pack to witness. Jude rises and puts his arm out as though to shield me, but his father isn’t moving in my direction, and I wish he’d forget about me and only think about stopping his father. They should be separated. They should be away from each other until the fight for dominance is ready to commence. My heart races as the Betas grab their Alpha’s arms in an attempt to keep him back. He rips his arms from their grasp and pushes each of them away, shoving his hands against their chests. It is chaos before us, and as tears brim in my eyes, my little one cries.
The worry in Grace’s eyes and the sheer fear that fills the room is my undoing.
Jude’s brothers are shielding their mate. She’s in complete hysterics and trying to pull them back away from their father.
“You two want to fight me as well? I’ll end all of you!” He screams at his sons who are merely shielding their fragile mate from his anger. It’s obvious she’s terrified for them, but she’s going to get hurt. Just as the thought hits me, everything turns violent. If my back weren’t cemented to this wall I’d lunge for her and pull her away, but I’d have gotten there too late. Luke, out of pure rage, slams a hard fist against his father’s jaw. The sickening sound sends everything into slow motion. The Alpha’s arm raises and he shifts his hand, the claws extending and shining as they sharpen before my eyes.
“No!” Emma screams squeezing between her two mates and turning her body, her back to the Alpha to push Luke out of the way. Half of her body in front of Luke and half in front of Owen. She’s foolish to think she could do anything other than put herself into harm’s way, which is exactly what she’s done. Her shove doesn’t do anything to move Luke, and Owen isn’t quick enough to pull her small body away. Their father’s claws smack Luke’s chin and then lands hard against Emma’s cheek, splitting the skin and slamming her small body onto the table.
Veronica lunges across the table and reaches for Emma. But the vampire is slow. I’ve seen vampires before. They’ve recently come more and more to Shadow’s camp. Their movements are far too fast for my eyes to track, nearly a blur of jerky movements. Veronica’s speed is absent; she moves no quicker than any of us would.
At first I feel a hint of betrayal and nearly push myself away from the wall to grab the human myself, but then I see her own shock and hear Vince’s breath hitch as he races to be alongside his mate. Veronica’s eyes widen with fear as she recognizes her failed efforts. Her breath stalls and she frantically pushes her upper body across the table in an effort to reach Emma as she slowly slips off the table. I don’t understand. Nothing is as it should be. Veronica barely catches Emma’s small hand, struggling to pull her unconscious and limp body across the table. Vince climbs on the table and pulls Emma across to safely shield her from the snarling werewolves.
Her limp legs smack against the chair as Vince pushes her body to Devin. Devin’s grip on his own mate is harsh as he pulls her behind him. The air is thick with tension as loud growls rip through the air.
